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Spanking

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Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional "over-the-knee" spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly.

Spanking is a form of corporal punishment that generally consists of striking the buttocks with either an open hand or an implement. Many countries oppose or prohibit spanking as a form of discipline, and many organizations dedicated to the health of children oppose spanking as a form of discipline.

Etymology

The verb "to spank" has been known in English since 1727, possibly onomatopeic in nature.

English and several other languages have a specific, common verb for "spanking", that distinguishes it from corporal punishment applied on the buttocks. Thus in Latin the only word derived from "culus" (buttocks) was "culare" meaning "to spank", similar to the Italian "sculacciare"; in Spanish "azotes" or "nalgadas", from "nalga" (butt); in French, the verb is "fesser", also from "fesses" (buttocks).

In homes and schools

Spankings are most commonly administered to children by parents and in schools,[1] and spanking of boys tends to be more frequent than spanking of girls.[2][3][4][5][6]

School corporal punishment is banned in most of the western world, including every country in Europe, Japan, South Africa and New Zealand.[7] There is no consensus on how much paddling occurs in U.S. schools. Some estimates[who?] place the number of paddlings at approximately 350,000 a year, while the National Association of School Psychologists places the number at 1.5 million cases a year.[8] The Center for Effective Discipline states that the number of students struck in 2006 in U.S. public schools was 223,190.[9] In the United States, black students are more likely to be hit than white students, and male students more likely than female students, for the same infractions.[10] Corporal punishment of male students also tends to be more severe.[citation needed]

Research

Some studies have shown that children who are spanked are more likely to be angry as adults, use spanking as a form of discipline, approve of striking a spouse and experience marital discord.[11] Spanking older children is associated with more physical aggression, substance abuse, crime and violence.[12][unbalanced opinion?]

According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (online on Aug 19, 2008), mothers who spank their children are nearly three times more likely to also use harsher forms of punishment -- such as beating, burning, kicking, or shaking a child less than 2 years old -- than mothers who did not use spanking, and increases in the frequency of spanking are associated with increased odds of abuse.[13]

Alternatives to spanking

Main article: Non-violent child discipline

Opponents of spanking suggest numerous methods of non-violent child discipline which they consider at least as effective as spanking, while lacking the negative side-effects they attribute to spanking.

Agencies that oppose spanking

Several agencies responsible for the child health have issued policies against corporal punishment.

United Nations

The United Nations standards on human rights standards discourage all corporal punishment, including spanking.[14] UNESCO also recommends that corporal punishment be prohibited in schools, homes and institutions as a form of discipline, and that it is violation of human rights as well as counterproductive, ineffective, dangerous and harmful to children on several levels.[15]

Australia

The Australian Psychological Society holds the corporal punishment of children is an ineffective method of deterring unwanted behavior, promotes undesirable behaviors and fails to demonstrate an alternative desirable behavior.[16]

Canada

The Canadian Pediatrics Society reviewed research on spanking and concluded that it was associated with negative outcomes, and recommended spanking be discouraged by physicians.[17]

England

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health supports advocacy to protect children from all types of assault[neutrality is disputed] including spanking[18] and opposes striking of children in all circumstances.[19] The Royal College of Psychiatrists also take the position that corporal punishment is unacceptable in all circumstances.[20]

United States

The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that corporal punishment possesses negative side effects and limited benefits, and recommends the use of other forms of discipline to manage undesirable behavior.[21] The American Psychological Association believes that the use of physical punishment in institutions that care for children is unlikely to improve problem behavior and poses the risk of significant negative side effects including poor self-esteem, hostility and a greater likelihood of using physical aggression.[22]

According to Save the Children, spanking of children within families is illegal in 24 countries.[7]

Year Country Comments
1979  Sweden Illegal
1983  Finland Illegal
1987  Norway Illegal
1989  Austria Illegal
1994  Cyprus Illegal
1997  Denmark Illegal
1998  Latvia Illegal
1999  Croatia Illegal
2000  Bulgaria Illegal
2000  Israel Illegal
2000  Germany Illegal
2003  Iceland Illegal
2004  Romania Illegal
2004  Ukraine Illegal
2005  Hungary Illegal
2006  Greece Illegal
2007  Chile Illegal
2007  Netherlands Illegal
2007  New Zealand Illegal
2007  Portugal Illegal
2007  Spain Illegal
2007  Uruguay Illegal
2007  Venezuela Illegal
2008  Costa Rica Illegal
2008  Australia Spanking allowed, smacking on face and head prohibited
2008  Canada Spanking allowed, implements forbidden to be used on children under 24 months
2008  Italy Spanking forbidden by local courts
2008  Japan Spanking forbidden by local courts
2008  Malta Spanking forbidden by local courts
2008  South Africa Spanking forbidden by local courts
2008  United Kingdom Spanking allowed, marks on body prohibited
2008  United States Spanking allowed, with restrictions

Non-punitive and voluntary spankings

Spanking exists in spheres of life distinct from punishment. Note the issue of legal consent which may or may not represent a defence to criminal liability for any injuries caused during the spanking. Apart from the erotic and from fraternity/sorority type initiations, which have their origin in educational (domestic or boot camp) types of discipline, these include:

Folkloristic spanking traditions

In Latvia there is a tradition of hard spanking on Palm Sunday (called Pussy willow Sunday) morning. The spanker sneaks into the potential spankee's bedroom and wakes him or her up. the whipping is done with pussy willow branches or (rarely) birch. This ritual spanking is often applied to the bare buttocks. Usually young men catch girls or young women and order them to bend over for spanking.[23] Spanking on the bare bottom was optional, but in some areas completely naked whipping with pussy willow branches has been done too. Sometimes spanking is done in early morning with aspen tree birch, while people are sleeping naked or in nightgown.[24]

Religious customs

On the first day of the lunar Chinese new year holidays, a week-long 'Spring Festival', the most important festival for Chinese people all over the world, thousands of Chinese visit the Taoist Dong Lung Gong temple in Tungkang to go through the century-old ritual to get rid of bad luck, men by receiving spankings and women by being whipped (as in the Ancient Roman -unisex- Lupercalia); the number of strokes to being administered (always lightly) by the temple staff is decided in either case by the god Wang Ye and by burning incense and tossing two pieces of wood, after which all go home happily, believing their luck will improve.[25]

Pomlazka is a pagan Czech Easter festival One prime example of a pagan Czech Easter celebration is the "pomlazka".[26] Farmers used to believe that a whipping after the winter period guaranteed health, prosperity, and most importantly a good harvest.

Birthday spanking

There is a custom in certain circles to administer spankings to the buttocks of the birthday celebrant. Customarily, the person receives the number of smacks corresponding to his or her age, plus "one to grow on", often harder than the rest. A possible origin of this tradition is the smack often given to newborn infants intended to help them start breathing.[27]

As a sexual act

Main article: Erotic spanking

Spanking is a part of sexual foreplay for some adults, often as a lighthearted playful activity. There is a genre of pornography that incorporates spanking as a sexual fetish.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Day, R (1998). "Predicting Spanking of Younger and Older Children by their Mothers and Fathers". Journal of Marriage and the Family. 60: 79–94. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  2. ^ Elder, G.H. (1963). "Family Structure and Child Rearing Patterns: The Effect of Family Size and Sex Composition". American Sociological Review. 28: 891–905. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Gelles, R.J. (1990). Physical Violence In American Families: Risk Factors And Adaptations To Violence In 8,145 Families. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Maccoby, E.E. (1974). The Psychology of Sex Differences. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ MacDonald, A.P. (1971). "Internal-External Locus of Control: Parental Antecedents". Journal of Consulting & Counseling Psychology. 37: 141–147. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Straus, M.A. (1971). "Some Social Antecedents of Physical Punishment: A Linkage Theory Interpretation". Journal of Marriage and the Family. 33: 658–663. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ a b "Totalförbjud aga i alla länder! [Spanking forbidden in 24 nations]" (in Swedish). Save the Children. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  8. ^ Owen, SS (2005). "The relationship between social capital and corporal punishment in schools: A theoretical inquiry". Youth and Society. 37: 85–112. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  9. ^ "U.S.: Corporal Punishment and Paddling Statistics by State and Race". Center for Effective Discipline. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  10. ^ Gregory, JF (1995). "Crime of punishment: Racial and gender disparities in the use of corporal punishment in U.S. public schools". Journal of Negro Education. 64 (4): 454–462. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  11. ^ Straus, MA (1996). "Spanking and the making of a violent society". Pediatrics. 98 (4 Pt 2): 837–42. PMID 8885984. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Cohen, P (1996). "How can generative theories of the effects of punishment be tested?". Pediatrics. 98 (4 Pt 2): 834–836. PMID 8885983. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Study Shows Link Between Spanking and Physical Abuse Newswise, Retrieved on August 21, 2008.
  14. ^ "Hitting people is wrong – and children are people too" (PDF). Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, Save the Children Sweden. 2003-03-09. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  15. ^ Hart, Stuart L. (2005). Eliminating Corporal Punishment: The Way Forward to Constructive Child Discipline (Education on the Move). Paris: UNESCO. ISBN 9231039911. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Legislative assembly questions #0293 - Australian Psychological Society: Punishment and Behaviour Change". Parliament of New South Wales. 1996-10-30. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  17. ^ Psychosocial Paediatrics Committee, Canadian Paediatric Society (2004). "Effective discipline for children". Paediatrics & Child Health. 9 (1): 37–41. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  18. ^ "Advocacy". Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  19. ^ Lynch, M (2003). "Community pediatrics: role of physicians and organizations". Pediatrics. 112 (3 Part 2): 732–734. PMID 12949335. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  20. ^ Hartwell, E (2005-10-01). "Quality Network for In-patient CAMHS Service Standards 2005/2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-08-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Stein, MT (1998). "Guidance for effective discipline. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health". Pediatrics. 101 (4 Pt 1): 723–728. PMID 9521967. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  22. ^ "Corporal Punishment". American Psychological Association. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  23. ^ "Latvijas krievi – apdraudējums vai potenciāls". Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  24. ^ "??". Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  25. ^ "Ring in the new year with a spanking for luck". 2004-01-24. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  26. ^ "Pletení pomlázky". 2001-04-03. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  27. ^ Spanking: Encyclopedia II - Spanking - Non-punitive & Voluntary spankings
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